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Always a cool feeling to run into a hot upcoming car, in this case the 2014 BMW M3, and catching it undergoing testing before release. Spyphotos like these get big attention as they show off upcoming design elements. So what can we see here? Well, first of all the color on the car is Jerez Black which looks like it will be making a return on the F80 M3 being a popular color on the E9X M3 series. Shots of the brake disc show some very large vented rotors that hopefully have some high end calipers on them this time around.

The design of the car does not differ much from what we all expect but the classic aggressive M3 fenders are there thankfully. A more aggressive front bumper along with rear diffuser sporting quad tips round out the look. Overall, BMW is playing it very safe styling wise.

Reflections in the window make it difficult to see much of the interior although a dual clutch trans can clearly be made out along with tri-color M stitching on the wheel. Photographer stated redline was 7k rpm. So much for that high revving M philosophy eh?

The shot underneath the car shows what appears to a fairly large tranny cooler (hopefully not sharing the same cooler as the manual as BMW did with the E9X generation) as well as a big and likely heavy rear muffler that aftermarket exhaust manufacturers will be promptly ditching.

Great set of spyphotos and a big thank you to BimmerBoost member @bmw335iguy for capturing the car.

Have you driven a recent M3? That rush as the needle passes 7000 and keeps on swinging is one of the most intoxicating and satisfying feelings you can get while driving. The car is an absolute monster, incredibly responsive, and the noise is just epic. Monday mornings suck. A visit to 8200 rpm on the highway ramp definitely drives the Monday blues away and puts me in a good mood. The M3 has been defined by great motors for the last couple of generations. You have to work it to extract the maximum. Man and machine together. And it's a very gratifying feeling.

Trying to explain the appeal of a high revving motor with the power up top and a flat curve to people these days who just want to tune for some more ponies with more boost is lost on them.

are they removing those unacceptably ugly headlight sections that flow into the kidneys?

unfortunately, if they did decide to honor my wish, I still wouldn't buy one because all you have is a cookie cutter, shrunk 5 series, which is just a cookie cutter, shrunk 7 series. it's pitiful.

back in the good old days, you could actually tell the sedans apart.

an e46 doesn't look like an e39 which doesn't look like an e38. there was a surplus or differentiating exterior designs which is now completely gone and replaced with a vague (albeit decent looking) set of cookie cutter tail lights, head lights and side profiles.

I had the opportunity to drive a loaner '13 328xi with premium, sport, cold weather and nav packages optioned, along with an automatic tranny. drove it for almost 2 hours on pretty much every condition possible so I feel I got a pretty good sense of daily drivability and personality of the car. needless to say, I got back in my slow, rattle infested, 13 year old, sport 330ci with a stick and forgot everything of the f30. I have, and perhaps never will have, any desire whatsoever to purchase anything past an e90, and even that's kind of a stretch compared to the e46.

somewhere between swooping lines, sound deadening and electric power steering, BMW forgot what made them famous; giving consumers "The Ultimate Driving Machine". so until they debut something raw and inspired by past cars, they will forever march on in my mind as "The Ultimate Riding Machine".

So disappointed in reading about the 7k redline. This really does piss me off. I can understand a 7 or 7200 rpm redline for a V8 but it seems like moving forward with technology and customer satisfaction would truly involve a high revving FI motor. What differentiates this from a 335? Ok, it pulls to redline, OK it has less lag and is more responsive. Take our NA motors but at least simulate one of the best experiences that made them so great. The McLaren pulled it off, and BMW, in its past has always pulled off mainstream "super car like" motors. Seems like they are continuing to sell out for profit

Really? I think the S65 is one of the best engines ever made. You have a 4 liter V8 that pulls to over 8000 rpm with an absolute beauty of a torque curve. Insanely responsive and pulls like a maniac up top. Whatever floats your boat I guess.

did anyone else take a close look at the rear muffler and see maybe a bypass valve on the outer most pipe and how the outer most pipe doesn't appear to join the muffler body? just something new to discuss other then redline ......

did anyone else take a close look at the rear muffler and see maybe a bypass valve on the outer most pipe and how the outer most pipe doesn't appear to join the muffler body? just something new to discuss other then redline ......

Because the torque is very low. At lower RPMs it's laughable. If you put your foot down at 2000RPM you will wait forever to pick up speed. I put the DCT in Sport and ran a short circuit. After a sharp bend the car would barely move from 2500RPM up...it was a mess. Also the engine sound was so faint you could barely hear it. Also it didn't have the usual V8 sound that you turn your head for when a Mercedes AMG passes...

But the handling was totally different than a regular e92. Sharp as a razor.